Novels of Morrison and Walker

Through the early 1900s to the end of the century, sexism and discrimination proved to be a pressing issue. The minorities affected during this time period came out of the century changed forever. Their mindsets improved, pushing them to an era of self-identification. There was no undoing the trauma this racial group faced, only a hope that they can reinvent themselves. Through the work of Morrison and Walker we are able to see what truly occurred in the time period. Their stories give the readers an inside look to the harsh reality surrounding this era of awareness.

Morrison was born into an African American working-class family, pushing her to write about issues she saw around her. The Bluest Eye focuses on abuse in and out of the house. Throughout the novel, characters develop and are pushed to become their own beings. The female characters in both novels must band together in order to succeed in the circumstances they are given.

The authors both draw upon their personal experiences to write outstanding novels. Toni Morrison and Alice Walker reveal through their main characters journeys that women must become empowered in order to overcome societal restrictions and past trauma. Men treat women as property through physical abuse during both novels. The male characters in the book believe there is only one purpose for women, to serve their partners. In The Color Purple, Celie was abused in her childhood, foreshadowing the common theme for the rest of her life. Her mother died at a young age, leaving Celie to fend for herself against her father. She no longer possessed a female role model and was lost in the new world. The beginning of the novel shows Celies father telling her to stay quiet about the abuse, “He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it” (Walker 2). Author of, From Being Dominated to Taking Charge, Donna Winchell mentions that, “Celie is like a slave for she undergoes physical and mental abuse from the male characters in her life” (Winchell). This symbolizes the common theme of abusive male figures throughout the whole novel. The women are pushed down and forced to stay quiet for they are too weak to fend for themselves. Celie is introduced to this abuse at a young age because her father uses her as a scapegoat to avoid the tragedy that is his wife's death. Therefore, through such abuse, the characters get used to trauma and have trouble repenting it while they grow older. Celie’s father uses her as a pawn to get more money by selling her into an abusive home and spouse. It is obvious that the characters in the novel do not care about Celie’s emotions or feelings. She is seen as an opportunity to profit and gain help around the house. Mr.___ comes into the novel and asks to marry Nettie. Alphonso claims that Nettie is too young, so he auctions off Celie instead, “I can't let you have Nellie, but I'll give you Celie. She the oldest anyway. She ought to marry first. She aint fresh tho, but I spect you know that. She spoiled. Twice. She ugly. But she aint no stranger to hard work. And she clean. And God done fixed her. You can do everything just like you want to and she aint gonna make you feed it or clothe it” (Walker 9). The first mishap was the initial selling of Celie for profit gain.

Second, the way Alphonso auctions her off is offsetting, she sounds more like an object than an actual human being. The usage of Celie as property represents the objectification of women during the time period. Abuse comes in many different forms and can be expressed in multiple ways. In The Bluest Eye, the initial abuse is more than what meets the eye, it affects a character's whole life. Pecola has a traumatic childhood with multiple obstacles pressuring her throughout the way. The first form of abuse in Pecola's life is psychological. Her father burns down her childhood home, leaving her scarred for the rest of her life. This event sends her into county custody, leading Pecola into an unstable future. The women in the novel talk about Pecola's father and how he is being sent “outside”, “Mama don’t know what got into people, but that old Dog Breedlove had burned up his house, gone upside his wife's head, and everybody, as a result was outdoors”(Morrison 17). This event sets Pecola up to live her life without a stable environment. Her family was torn apart at a young age, affecting her outlook on the rest of the world. Pecola had to create a future for herself by defying the odds and rising above society’s restrictions. The abuse she faces becomes mental and remains with her for the rest of her life.

Therefore, through traumatic abuse, both physical and psychological, characters are pushed to their limits at early ages and begin to expect these forms of trauma throughout their lives. Pecola carries the constant memory of her father's abuse through the strenuous process of carrying around his baby. He sexually abused her, resulting in a child of their own. The origin of the pregnancy affects the way the other characters in the novel look at Pecola. The baby also takes away opportunities for her future; since the other characters believe it would be best for Pecola to be taken out of school. Rumors spread about the unborn child and it is apparent that the future of the baby is nothing but terror.

They say, “I thought about the baby everyone wanted dead, and saw it very clearly” (Morrison 190). Pecola's father had now affected another life that hasn’t even reached the surface. Pecola's baby would now be nothing more than the product of a shameful act, rather than its own individual. The abuse that Pecola faced at such a young age, impacts the mindset of everyone involved. The women in both novels rise above their hardships, creating their own independent path through life. Through female empowerment, many characters ban together and stand up to the male figures. In The Color Purple, Sofia doesn’t let the male figures push her around, she perseveres and stands up to the social norms. Harpo has trouble keeping an eye on Sofia, she makes loud commentary throughout the town and isn't afraid to get physical. The common theme of abuse arises when Harpo questions others on what to do about the Sofia's physical side, “Well how you spect her to make her mind. Wives is like children. You have to let ‘em know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do better than a small beating” (Walker 35).

Harpo's fear emphasizes the effect Sofia has over him in the novel. When given the idea of beating her to take control, he shows immediate fear. When Harpo listens to this advice and fights back against Sofia, the two fight for what seems like an eternity. Harpo hits Sofia, but she comes back even harder. Unlike Celie, Sofia is not afraid to get aggressive and eliminate the dominant male role. The resentment of aggression shown by certain characters throughout the novel sets up an example of how to deny male dominance. In addition, Squeak is inspired to follow in the path of her friends and create a new name for herself. After being abused while trying to save Sofia from prison, Squeak goes through a transformation. She is hit with the reality of the world and will be left with agonizing memories forever. Once she comes home, Squeak runs into Harpo's arms, “Harpo say, I love you, Squeak. He kneel down and try to put his arms round her waist. She stand up. My name Mary Agnes, she say” (Morrison 97).

The renaming of Squeak symbolizes how characters in the novel are no longer letting male figures dictate their lives. She feels a sense of empowerment and has become her own individual, rather than a token in society. Beauty standards lower self-esteem, making characters feel as though they are useless. Through the constant image of perfection shown throughout the town, characters think less of themselves in the novel. Pecola always dreams for the bluest eyes and yearns for the day she can be “beautiful like the white girls” (Morrison 23). Beauty standards in The Bluest Eye emphasize that being a different race is ugly. Young girls in the novel would go to great lengths to possess these features; blue eyes, blonde hair, and white skin. Pecola thinks to herself about the different colored eyes, “It had occurred to Pecola sometime go that if her eyes, those eyes held the pictures, and knew the sights- if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different”(Morrison 35). Nancy Chick, author of Toni Morrison: Overview states “Morrisons novel explores the destructive consequences of the standard of white beauty when adopted by a poor, black community. This ideal is symbolized by a young black girl's desire for blue eyes and the way the world must look through them, illustrated by the related image of the perfect middle-class whites found in the Dick-and-Jane primer quoted throughout the novel” (Chick).

This quote shows the constant want of equality and to fit in. After watching a fight between her parents, Pecola believes the blue eyes would inspire kindness in the other people around her. Therefore, the fear of not being accepted into society runs its course through the minds of the characters in the novel. The characters only hurt themselves when they set the bar low for their accomplishments, the high standards not only affect the character’s moral, but their overall personal identity in the world. The Breedloves lived in the worst part of town not because they had to, but because they thought that is where they belonged. The book states, “The Breedloves did not live in a storefront because they were having temporary difficulty adjusting to the cutbacks at the plant. They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believed they were ugly “(Morrison 37). Author Dorthea Malbia of The Need For Racial Approbation mentions that the Breedloves fight to survive, "Weakens the families structure and makes family members more vulnerable to the propaganda of the dominant culture” (Malbia). This symbolizes that the only ones truly pushing the Breedloves down and making them a minority was themselves. They had no confidence and believed the false assumptions and future the rest of the community had for them. Actions are formed against characters in The Color Purple due to the color of their skin. The color of your skin during this time period determined how other people treated you. Discrimination was at its height during this time period, making it easy to think less of someone for no reason. African Americas were being discouraged to go to school because there was no true benefit in the years they would waste attending. The older they get, the more useful they become around the house. Questioning this scenario Olivia asks, “Why can’t Tashi come to school? she [Olivia] asked me. When I told her the Olinka don’t believe in educating girls she said, quick as a flash, they’re like white people at home who don’t want colored people to learn” (Walker 133).

This symbolizes the harsh reality in the time period. Women were already being thought less of, being colored created a second disadvantage in society. Therefore, the discrimination others displayed set an example for different characters in the novel making it acceptable to act this way. Whites think higher of themselves during the time period and expect things to be given up for them. Sofia is gifted a car but never receives lessons to learn how to drive. The girls circle around it and think about taking it for a spin while Miz Millie steps in and asks for a ride. Millie gets into the car but is surprised with Sofia's seating arrangement, “She stood outside on her side the car clearing her throat. Finally she say, Sofia, with a little laugh, This is the south. Yes ma’am, I say. She clear her throat, laugh some more. Look where you sitting, she say. I’m sitting where I always sit, I say. That’s the problem she say. Have you ever seen a white person and a colored sitting side by side in a car, when one of ‘em wasn’t showing the other one how to drive or clean it”(Walker 104)? In this scene, racial discrimination is a key focus. This quote is significant because it is the first time in the novel that we have seen a woman demonstrate this trait. Women search for friends that will help them through the treacherous time period and help them create solutions to their problems. The banning together of women in The Color Purple help make life easier. Celie possesses a close-knit group of friends who share stories and help each other in times of crisis. The moment Sofia was sent to prison, her whole group of friends worked together to try and come up with a way to help her escape. She relied on her friends during this time of struggle to help lift her up. They put Squeak in disguise, “Us dress Squeak up like a white woman, only her clothes patch. She got on a starch and iron dress, high heel shoes with scuffs, and an old hat somebody give Shug. Us give her a old pocketbook look like a quilt and a little black bible” (Walker 93) This shows the great lengths this group of friends would go through to ensure the safety of others. In the time period it was essential to have groups like these in order to thrive.

Therefore, through this group of friends, difficult situations are made easier. Celie sacrifices herself in order to help her friends in the community. When the girl’s mother is sick Celie begs Alphonso to use her instead of Nettie as a replacement. In an effort to help her sister, “ I ast him to take me instead of Nette while our mammy sick. But he just ast me what im talking bout. I tell him I can fix myself up for him” (Walker 7). When Celie realizes that someone is going to have to replace her mother, she steps in, so her sister doesn’t have to. This symbolizes the tight friendships made across the novel, leading to the point where they would sacrifice themselves to save others. Without tight relationships characters often must go through times of trauma alone. When faced with situations alone, it is hard to fight back. Pecola doesn’t possess a close-knit group so she often faces problems alone. In the novel, Pecola is talking to Junior as she becomes injured and is left alone to fend for herself. A scratch appeared on Pecola as she ran around the room crying. Junior follows her with a demonic laugh as he leaps in front of her to prevent her from leaving. Junior says, “You can’t get out. You’re my prisoner” (Morrison 90). Pecola is now left in a difficult situation with no one to help but herself.

Therefore, without backup, situations that should be easy to prevent become more difficult. Pecola's self-hatred also sets her apart from the other girls. She does not feel as though she belongs, pulling her farther away from society. Pecola yet again was reflecting on the beauty standards placed on women. If she possessed a closer group of friends, they could lift her up in a time with low confidence. Pecola thought to herself, “It had occurred to Pecola sometime go that if her eyes, those eyes held the pictures, and knew the sights- if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different” (Morrison 35). This quote shows the constant want of equality and being accepted. Pecola has just watched a fight between her parents, believing the blue eyes would inspire kindness in the other people around her. Religion is used as an escape to the harsh reality faced by the characters. God is a role model for characters, so it is no surprise to see characters go to great lengths to impress him. Celie often writes letters to God, using him as someone to whom she can release all her pent-up emotions. Celie mentions that God has helped her through many situations, but also uses him as an excuse as to why she has gone numb to her emotions. Celie thought to herself, “I think. I can’t even remember the last time I felt mad, I say. I used to git mad at my mammy cause she put a lot of work on me. Then I see how sick she is. Couldn’t stay mad at her. Couldn’t be mad at my daddy cause he my daddy. Bible say, Honor father and mother no matter what. Then after while every time I got mad, or start to feel mad, I got sick. Felt like throwing up. Terrible feeling.

Then I start to feel nothing at all” (Walker 41). James Hall, author of Towards a Map states, “The emergence of a new religious conscious shines through Celie” (Hall). The author uses God as justification for what happens in Celie’s life. This shows how numb Celie has truly become to the challenges she faces. God is an escape that helps her move through scenarios without feeling anything. Therefore, religion is a consecutive symbol of good throughout the novel. When the male characters start acting religious it is a light at the end of the tunnel for the others. Mr.____ walks into a room and looks as though he is a professional. He has cleaned up, no longer looking like a slob. Sofia quickly notices and says to Celie, “I know you don’t believe this, Miss Celie, say Sofia, but Mr. ____ act like he tryna get religion” (Walker 222). This symbolizes a change in mindset for multiple characters in the book. Finding religion helps the characters become more accepting, symbolizing a change in the time period. The women in the novel can build off of this change and create a new path for their futures. God’s relationship with the characters relates to the nature of the universe. He is seen as the creator of all good and bad. If one sins, he will know and is not afraid to punish for ones actions. When the marigolds do not sprout in the summer the characters begin to create a list of reasons as to why there have been no buds. The book mentions that, “There were no marigolds in the summer of 1941” (Morrison 2). The lack of marigolds represents God’s feelings on Pecolas child.

Since it was the product of incest, the flowers were believed not to grow and are shown as having somewhat of a moral conscience. In certain instances, characters blame God for their struggles, pushing them further down because they have lost their faith. In the novel, God is questioned, and characters are unable to comprehend if he is truly with them. The characters state, “You have to understand that, Lord. You said “” suffer little children to come unto me, and harm them not.”” Did you forget about the children? Yes, you forgot. You forgot how and when to be God” (Morrison 181). This symbolizes the characters in The Bluest Eye losing faith in God and straying away from yet another chance to obtain help along the way. Through the character’s journeys in both novels, individuals discover a form of empowerment. The abuse they faced at such young ages brought them up to be strong and resilient. The turning of a new generation and time period starts when characters start to repent male figures. There are some bumps in the road while individuals question their self-worth because of the color of their skin. However, possessing a close group of friends can help a boost in self confidence that allows the women to rise above social normality's. These two novels both reinforced the idea of female empowerment and reflected on experiences where women had to overcome the status quo. Toni Morrison and Alice Walker reveal through their main characters journeys that women must become empowered in order to overcome societal restrictions and past trauma.

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